Columns

Winter is one of my favorite seasons. I enjoy the crispness in the air and wearing sweatshirts and warm, fuzzy socks by the fireplace. My son Caeleb enjoys the same things about winter, but his hemophilia and chronic pain complicate his relationship with the season. The morning is the most…

“Money can buy happiness.” My younger self would have refused to buy into that idea. I would have retorted with a long list of nonmaterial things that gave me pleasure. After all, Jessie J sang in her 2011 hit song “Price Tag” that, “It’s not about the money,…

Doctors often overlook female problems caused by hemophilia. I have many examples of this concept, but few are as upsetting as when I almost ruined a family vacation in 1990. Precancerous cells had invaded my cervix and needed removal. The procedure terrified me! I gathered several opinions, eventually landing…

“Pain” is a short, four-letter word, but its meaning is complex for those affected by chronic illness. For example, my youngest son, who lives with severe hemophilia, also known as factor VIII deficiency, once described the feeling of an internal bleed as sharp needles continuously attacking a joint.

My adult son, Julian, came home for Thanksgiving. When he walked into the house, I sensed that something was wrong. First, he told me he was in the early stage of a bleed in his leg. He then told me he left his factor at his home, five hours…

My son, Caeleb, recently had his first appointment with a new dentist following our recent move, which led to our first experience with an old concern: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Caeleb, 15, has had a fear of needles for many years, and as part of his hemophilia…

As I slowly approach the big three-zero (two more years to go!), I can’t help but reflect on the state of my health. Physical symptoms scare me now more than ever, and I want them checked as soon as possible. I’ve been trying to commit to healthier habits as well…

I cut my thumb above my knuckle a few weeks ago. It didn’t seem like a big deal, but five Band-Aids later, I began to wonder. A few hours later, I noticed my knuckle was swollen, painful, and a bit blue. My thumb wouldn’t bend, and the swelling extended down…

Some years ago, when my youngest son, “MacDonald the Younger,” was about 7, he had an internal bleed into his right knee just before Thanksgiving. I was scheduled to lead a “Thanks Living” service that Tuesday, but we quickly realized we would be celebrating the holiday in a hospital…

Julian was only a baby when he received his hemophilia diagnosis, and it came as a big shock to me. I remember how much I enjoyed the newness of having a beautiful son who looked perfect. Then, the first bruise appeared. Julian has severe hemophilia A, also known as…